Charlton Athletic will not be making free agent striker signing

Charlton Athletic will not be signing a striker free agent – with no other expected incoming activity until the January transfer window.

The Addicks saw a deadline day loan move for QPR’s Macauley Bonne collapse.

And Charlton owner Thomas Sandgaard said they would explore the list of unattached players, who can sign at any time.

The League One side did add another centre-back last week with Terell Thomas, released by Reading at the end of the previous campaign, signing a one-year contract.

But manager Ben Garner confirmed in his pre-match press conference before tomorrow’s home game against Forest Green Rovers that a forward will not be arriving.

“There is no-one who springs to mind in the free agents,” he said. “Our squad is what it is now until January. It is about maximising that and a lot of work on the training ground, making players better.

“Academy players need to be pushing to give us great competition in the squad. I don’t just want those players to feel like getting in the squad is an achievement. I want them to want the shirt.

“It’s not a secret that we’d have liked one more, a different type of forward, but we weren’t able to get the player we wanted to get in over the line.

“For me now it is what we do have in the squad and how we get the best out of them. I don’t just look at it as the centre-forward or the wide forward scoring goals, I want goals throughout the team. We’ve had quite a few players score so far, a couple of them on three, and we want to share those goals around.

“The important thing for me is that Charlton Athletic score as many goals as possible and concede as least as possible.

“It may offer an opportunity to one or two younger players. Miles Leaburn has taken the opportunity this year and I’ve been really impressed the last week or so with Tyreece Campbell. He has just got fit again and he has been dropping in and out of our sessions. He trained with us Friday and looked really exciting – he’s another I’ve got really high hopes for.

“Daniel Kanu played against Gillingham and showed his potential. What I like about Daniel is that in each and every game he features or I see him playing, he looks like scoring – whether he does or not. He keeps getting in the positions, even if he misses.

“We also need to start the process now of beginning our recruitment for January.”

MAIN PICTURE: PAUL EDWARDS